Candidate statement: Dr. Mehmet Oz

As a child, I grew up just a few miles south of Kennett Square. After graduating from medical and business school in Philadelphia, I operated on thousands of patients and invented a tool to fix heart valves that saves lives while cutting medical costs. Later, as a television host, I focused on empowering individuals to take control of their own health and pursue their dreams.

I’m running for the United States Senate to turn the lights back on in America. That’s the first thing I do in the operating room, and it’s how we’ll start shining a light on what’s wrong with our country.

Just this year, Pittsburgh marked its 40th homicide with the death of a 23-year-old, and since 2021, the homicide rate in Pittsburgh has increased by 22%. As violent crime increases in Western Pennsylvania, our communities have become less safe and businesses have become negatively impacted as a result.

To tackle crime, I will vote to fund our police and support communities with the resources they need to keep violent criminals off the streets and ensure vulnerable populations have the help they need. I’ve been endorsed by the Pennsylvania State Troopers Association, the Pennsylvania Fraternal Order of Police, the Pennsylvania State Corrections Officers Association, the Pennsylvania Sheriffs’ Association Action PAC and the Philadelphia Fraternal Order of Police because they know I am committed to making our commonwealth safer for everyone.

But even if we had safer streets, 40-year-high inflation is still crushing the middle and working classes and driving down real wages. Over the last two years, the cost of living in Pennsylvania has skyrocketed, gas prices have gone through the roof and simple necessities like baby formula have become harder to get than fentanyl in our cities.

In the U.S. Senate, I will fight to lower inflation and cut taxes. I will work to make Pennsylvania a leader in energy production, decrease health care costs while improving outcomes and provide better schools with more choice. I will give power back to you, because you are the best person so make decisions about your family and home.

I believe we can solve these challenges together and help those who have been hurt the most. Pennsylvania can be a leader in Washington for the rest of the country, but we need bold leadership with fresh ideas — not the same radical politics that have gotten us to this point.

Together, we will turn the lights back on in America.